Never been to Chicago ... never been to The National

[crazy4kinsler]

Sorry for the long read.

So I've never been to The National. In fact, I've never even been to Chicago. But my wife and I are going in a couple of weeks for this year's show. I just don't know what I'm doing, and there's where I need the experts. Any tips, advice that you can offer, please do.

We're flying into O'Hare, but how do we get to the show from our hotel? Just an uBer? Or do we need to rent a car? We're staying at the Sonesta Inn O'Hare, and I think it's about 2 miles from the Rosemont center. So I think it's too far to walk.

We're flying in on Tuesday morning, and we don't go to the show until Thursday. We might buy tickets for Wednesday, but I'm debating if $60 is worth it for just 4 hours. I'm leaning toward no, and I'm wanting to just buy the 1 ticket for Thursday.

The spouse would go Wednesday night, if I were to go, but she doesn't want to go on Thursday with it being an all day affair. Spouse is wanting to go to the city by herself on Thursday since I'll be at the show. But I don't think that's a good idea. However, I'm not sure what she can do if she's not at the show with me.

Thinking of doing the White Sox game on Tuesday night (play the Phillies) just because I'd like to start a ballpark tour of going to each of the MLB parks, and we already have tickets to the Cubs-Orioles on Friday. It's a 1:05 p.m. start. So we'll have to get an uBer or train or tram or something up there.

I literally know nothing about Chicago, how to get around or what to do/where to you. Any trip we take is to Disney World. If we don't go to the show on Wednesday, we're planning on going to the city to do some tourist-y things.

If we do go to the show that day, then our tourist-y day will only be until about 3 or so in order to get back to the card show. If we don't go to the White Sox game on Tuesday, we could go also go into the city and do some stuff as well.

I've been told by several people we have to eat at Lou Malnatis, and we have to do the architecture tour. Had a few say go to the navy pier, but others said it's a tourist trap and stay away. The only thing spouse wants to do is eat some pizza. So will do that on either Tuesday evening or Wednesday afternoon.

I'm hearing something called Wrigley Ville that is a place to go before the game. Don't know anything about it. But would be up for meeting some folks there beforehand if anyone else is going to the Cubs game on the 1st. We're flying home late afternoon on Saturday the 2nd, so can't really do much that day.

Any other tips, advice, pieces of knowledge we need to know, do, eat, see?